Striker Fenwick fighting fit – and loving life at Hartlepool United

Richard Mennear

IN-FORM Scott Fenwick is delighted to be backing up his confidence off the pitch with performances on it.

The 24-year-old striker has scored four goals in six starts since joining Hartlepool United from non-league Dunston including netting the winner in the 3-2 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Fenwick has quickly established himself as a firm fans favourite with his tireless running and clinical finishing.

And the former civil engineer says he is pleased with his transition since turning pro – including shedding the pounds.

Fenwick said: “I do my own stuff away from training and I’ve been doing Metafit classes and my bodyfat is going down all the time.

“It was 17 per cent, good in non league, but pro level I was miles behind.

“The pace of the game when I first played was hard, I’ve got asthma too and the first half on my debut against York City I was finding it hard to breathe.

“It was the longest game I’ve ever played in.

“But now I feel I’ve grown into the game.

“I’ve always been confident but now I’m backing up that confidence with performances.

“I love watching videos and DVDs of great players before every game and I always watch Alan Shearer’s best bits – it takes me 23 minutes and I’ve always done it.

“Before the Plymouth Argyle match I watched Ronaldo’s DVD – all 47 minutes – and I love doing that and building myself up.”

Fenwick has also proven manager Ronnie Moore wrong.

“When the gaffer came in, I wasn’t sure if he liked me,” said Fenwick.

“He pulled a few of the lads over one on one and didn’t do it with me so it made me wonder.

“It got to the Morecambe game and even though we were poor, he took me in later and said he could see me making the runs and, while things didn’t come off he saw something in me that he didn’t see in Joe [Ironside].

“He saw something he could work with and that gave me a boost.

“I didn’t play at Mansfield and it made me determined to prove him wrong.

“I’m not one to keep quiet but he’s good with me.

“He’s an old school manager, yet he has a fun factor with it too and will drop a joke in but then seconds later tell us something strongly – my dad and grandar were the same.

“I was playing in the FA Vase semi-final for Dunston, I scored five and got man of the match but my dad was saying I should have scored seven!

“It brings me back down to earth,” added Fenwick.

Impressed boss Moore said: “The penny has dropped very quickly with him, which shows he is a bright lad as well.

“He is not just a big lump playing down the middle, he is playing off the shoulder and learning the game.”

The Gateshead-born frontman has been playing out wide in a new-look 4-3-3 formation and admits he is enjoying his role having previously played there for Durham.

He was a major doubt for Argyle, a game attended by 22 of his family members, having damaged his shoulder in the build-up to the Tranmere Rovers match the week before.

Fenwick, speaking ahead of today’s trip to Portsmouth, added: “The doctor had me in the room and he was punching me to get it back in place because the bone had dropped.

“I knew I would be okay to play though – I have broken my jaw in non-league before and carried on playing even though my face had dropped four centimetres.

“I took loads of paracetamol and got on with it – and I scored three that day!”

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